The five exhibited copper engravings tell the story of a Roma village in Slovakia. The inhabitants spent many years in prison and their tattoos tell the story of their lives. They allowed me to collect this blue-inked archive of their past.just like for everyone else, it is also important for Roma to have a family, a future and –most of all –a history. One’s history is the only thing of people that remain. It is a constantly working archive of one’s own life. So I scratched the story into the plate, thereby documenting and eternalizing it.the Roma minority is often viewed negatively due to poverty, unemployment, and awkwardness. These people are constantly facing existential problems and injustice. Because of these social conditions, many become delinquent and spend several years in prison.also, my father spent many years in prison. He told me that he had an important role there: he was the tattoo artist. My engravings deal with the moment, in which my father painfully scratches the memories of his family members into his skin. He records important data to his chest and his ears: the death of his first daughter or various excerpts from letters of his mistress.when I asked him about the meaning of these drawings, he showed me his chest and said:“my body is the place of my life. All my wounds and drawings of my past are there. I scratched them with a needle and blue ink deep into my skin. My family is eternalized on my chest. Even though I left myhome, I will be together with my beloved ones in prison. When I get out here one day, I will become a life story. This I will take with me to the grave.”The prints were realized in the graphic factory stamperia d arte albicocco in udine (it).
Das balue Herz
Credits
Rights held by: Robert Gabris | Licensed by: Robert Gabris | Licensed under: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International | Provided by: Robert Gabris – Private Archive
Description
Details
original title
Das blaue Herz
preferred title
Das blaue Herz
übersetzer Titel
The blue heart
Country
Production
2014
Production Credits
- Robert Gabris (Artist)
Object Category
Dimensions
70 cm width50 cm height
Material
Technique
Object Number
vis_00148